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The Summits are a quartet from Washington, D.C., formed by students at Francis Cardoza High School. They began singing their sweet soul style in the school corridors, honing their craft until a faculty member took notice. The group initially consisted of baritone Willie “Sherman” Flannagan and alto Alvin “Lumberjack” Middleton, along with tenors Andre Sanders and Juan Hawkins. In 1971, second tenor Sidney Smith replaced Sanders. The founders, Sanders and Hawkins, frequently took the 16th Street bus, which runs from the center of D.C. to the north, often to visit girlfriends. The bus’s last stop was Summit Hill, which inspired the group's name, The Summits. Under the guidance of Joe Tate, who managed various musicians including national recording artists like the Fuzz and the Choice Four, The Summits recorded their first single, “I Can’t Get Over Losing You,” for Tate’s Dontee label in 1970. However, limited distribution and radio play hindered their rise to fame. The group did not record again until Tate's other projects were completed. It was only when Tate paired them with staff songwriter Joe Phillips that their music began to take shape. Phillips wrote several songs for The Summits, four of which were released as singles on Stan Bethel’s D.C. International label.

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